Multiple sclerosis: The elevated antibody response to Epstein-Barr virus primarily targets, but is not confined to, the glycine-alanine repeat of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1

Item Type:

Article

Title:

Multiple sclerosis: The elevated antibody response to Epstein-Barr virus primarily targets, but is not confined to, the glycine-alanine repeat of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1

Creators Name:

Ruprecht, K. and Wunderlich, B. and Gieß, R. and Meyer, P. and Loebel, M. and Lenz, K. and Hofmann, J. and Rosche, B. and Wengert, O. and Paul, F. and Reimer, U. and Scheibenbogen, C.

Abstract:

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have elevated antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but data on the epitope-resolved specificity of these antibodies are scarce. Using a peptide microarray containing 1465 peptides representing 8 full-length EBV proteins, we identified higher (p<0.001) antibody reactivities to 39 EBV-peptides in MS patients (n=29) compared to healthy controls (n=22). Seventeen of the 39 peptides were from EBNA-1 and 13 located within the glycine-alanine repeat of EBNA-1. Further reactivities were directed against EBNA-3, EBNA-4, EBNA-6, VP26, and LMP1. Thus, antibodies against EBV in MS patients primarily target, but are not confined to, the glycine-alanine repeat of EBNA-1.